A long-awaited redevelopment of the former MichCon coal gasification plant site along the Huron River in Ann Arbor is in the works.

DTE Energy, which owns the 14-acre site at the foot of the Broadway bridges, says a developer could be announced by the end of this summer.

"We are moving forward and we're excited about the potential for the site," said DTE spokeswoman Randi Berris. "We really see this as a great opportunity for DTE to give back to the community and help turn this really important and special site into something that the whole community can be proud of, that will be an economic force in the community, provide tax base and provide jobs."

A map of the MichCon site in Ann Arbor.City of Ann Arbor

DTE Energy hopes to complete due diligence activities this summer and begin working toward a development agreement. Once a development agreement is in place, DTE will publicly announce the developer, Berris said.

The Detroit-based utility's goal for the site is to bring about a first-class, mixed-use development capitalizing on the unique features of the riverfront location. Any plan will include significant green space open to the public, Berris said.

"We are also considering ideas including a restaurant, residential, parking and a hotel or retail/commercial space," she said.

Due diligence activities include making sure traffic patterns work, assessing community needs, and keeping in mind what residents would like to see, Berris said.

She said the final plan for the property will take into account input from the local community. It also must go through the city's review process and receive approval from the Planning Commission and City Council.

"It takes time to make decisions on any project of this magnitude," Berris said. "We remain committed to working collaboratively with the city of Ann Arbor, Huron River Watershed Council and other community stakeholders on the plans for the property."

DTE confirmed in April 2013 it had received several proposals from developers interested in doing a mixed-use project on the site.

Those proposals haven't been publicly released, but DTE has said all of them included a mix of uses, including restaurant, office, retail, residential and open space.

Mayor John Hieftje said he's impressed with the careful consideration DTE has given to the future of the site, and he's glad DTE remains committed to having a sizable open space along the river, directly across from the Argo Cascades.

He said it's his understanding that DTE seriously considered three proposals and a riverfront restaurant was included in all of the designs he has heard about.

"The community has asked for a restaurant there," he said. "I think it would really be something if you could pull up in your canoe and stop in for a brew and a burger."

He added, "That's what a lot of people would like to see — a big deck with tables and chairs and umbrellas. I think it would be a hit from day one."

View full sizeA hypothetical rendering of what a riverfront park with a new canoe livery could look like on the MichCon site in Ann Arbor. This was put forward by a citizen-led task force as one idea for the site.City of Ann Arbor

Citizens working on the city's North Main-Huron River Corridor Vision Task Force last year put forward a hypothetical plan for a riverfront park on the MichCon site that included a new canoe livery and docks, as well as a riverfront walking and biking trail, picnic shelter, public boat storage lockers, boat storage yard, and a 100-space parking lot. Asked to comment on the idea, Berris said "all options are on the table."

DTE conducted a major environmental cleanup on the riverfront portion of the property in late 2012 and early 2013. The state required DTE to address contamination left behind decades ago by the former MichCon plant operations.

The company dredged contaminated sediments from the main channel of the Huron River between Argo Dam and the Broadway bridges and removed contaminated soils along the river banks to achieve an unrestricted residential cleanup standard.

Making a redevelopment of the site feasible is the clearance DTE received in May from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, which issued a "no further action" letter that essentially means DTE cleaned up the site to the DEQ's satisfaction.

"That is an important milestone and we couldn't move forward on any development until that was done," Berris said.

The remediation work done along the river's edge didn't address contamination elsewhere on the property, though. For instance, DEQ officials have noted there are cyanide-contaminated soils on the western portion of the property.

DTE officials have said additional remediation work likely will be performed during the redevelopment phase to take advantage of project synergies.

Laura Rubin, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, said she's excited about the potential for a redevelopment and further cleanup of the MichCon site, as it will remove a barrier between the downtown and the Huron River.

"We're really pushing hard on this," she said. "The initial cleanup was great because the site has been sitting contaminated for decades. We're thrilled to see that they're still working steadily on transitioning the property to a current use, cleaning it up."